Michael Messinger

Pastor, First Christian Church Visalia

Michael (Mike) Messinger serves as pastor of First Christian Church of Visalia, CA, where he has been for the last seventeen years. Mike was born and raised in the SF Bay Area, and after one year of community college, enlisted in the draft and served in the Army as a Military Policeman, with his first assignment being Vietnam. After his discharge he attended San José State University, California and received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, and then attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina and received his Master of Divinity. Upon completion of seminary he served churches in Northern California until 1984 when he returned to active duty as an Army chaplain. During his time as a chaplain Mike served in a variety of positions and assignments ranging from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, to two tours in Germany (Stuttgart and Heidelberg), ten months in the Saudi desert during Desert Shield/Storm and tours at Fort Bliss, TX and Fort Monmouth, NJ as well. After Mike retired from the Army in 2000 he took a pastorate position at the First Christian Church of Visalia where he continues to serve. Mike is an avid student of the Bible, and since 1985 has spent much time and effort in learning about the Hebraic roots of our Christian faith as well as other facets of the Bible, and has made six trips to Israel, four were tours he led, and one trip was on sabbatical touring Israel and spending two weeks in an archaeological dig at Bethsaida. Mike and his wife Beth have been married thirty-four years and have three married daughters, and six grandkids, and a beloved dachshund named Heidi.

Lynn Weaver

Rev. Lynn Weaver has been an avid and dedicated student and teacher of the Word of God for over thirty years. She is passionate about the scriptures and wants to see them come alive in the hearts, minds and lives of those she teaches. What better way to do that than to walk through Israel where the actual Bible events occurred? Prior to becoming an Assoc. Pastor at the Las Vegas Church of the Nazarene, Lynn was involved in many Christian endeavors including: a Calvary Chapel worship leader, numerous short term mission trips, hospital chaplaincy, Director of the Passion Play of Las Vegas for eleven years, an on-going ministry to Mormons and working with youth. Currently, Lynn teaches an adult Sunday School class, preaches and does seminars on Bible Journaling and Mormonism (two separate subjects).